It is impossible to get a brand new and virtually not touched PlayStation 3 at a real wholesale price, despite what many scammers would have you believe- if wholesale is to be consider 50-90% of the current retail value of the first 2 years of life of the item. If you try to get a PlayStation 3 in this way, the best scenario is that you will most likely get it slightly cheaper than the retail price, but with a lot more hassle and worry.

The worst case is that you might not get your PlayStation 3, and some unscrupulous crook will get your money the easy way. Beware of early sign of supposed wholesale for Playstation 3.

Why? The first answer is simple market economics. The reason wholesale prices get to be low is because of the cost of dealing with individual customers. Any company, which is selling to individuals, will have to encounter these higher costs, and so will not be able to offer wholesale prices in the most likely events. The why of that is simple? Yes indeed, the majority of the wholesalers and distributors play the game of bulk, and only a few get to do business in single these days. These are the facts, but such kind of distributors and wholesalers are still available.

The second reason is the shortage of units of the PlayStation 3. Sony manufacturing center in Japan and China have been unable to produce enough units to flood the market at launch. Anybody who does have access to a wholesale PlayStation 3 has a strong incentive to sell on to a retailer, who will be able to get a good price for them. Finally, Sony exerts control over the pricing of the PlayStation 3 in the US market, as things are slightly different in Japan, where retailers are allowed to set their own prices. They have the legal and economic power to ensure that the PlayStation 3 is sold only for the official prices - that is, $499 for the standard version, and $599 for the premium version.

So, what are all these outlets offering the PlayStation 3 at wholesale prices? Mostly, it is just a marketing gimmick. Some of them may really be wholesalers who are trying to break their agreement with Sony and sell the PlayStation 3 direct to customers. If that is the case, they are likely to be in legal trouble fairly soon, and they are not good people to be trusted with your money as you could also be in headaches as a buyer of such possible scam.

Where do you go if you cannot get the PlayStation 3 at wholesale prices? Look for hidden distributors like most eBay power sellers and online powerhouses do. People who devote their time to wholesale businesses spend countless hours searching for such hidden distributors and single unit sales with such sources. Their prices might seem a lot higher than those of the wholesalers, but in fact some will probably be offering bundles that give you good value for your money most of the time.

You will probably be looking to get extra games and controllers anyway, so why not let shops include them in the package for you? That is the way to get your PlayStation 3, not through the wholesale 50-80% discount scam. For people who breathe and live the wholesale tangible sell- at least for now, it would be impossible to find real wholesale Playstation 3 in brand new conditions and definitely in my 7 years of experience online and with my disclaimer point of view that is, importantly.